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30 Oct

Choose to remain…and enjoy the taste!

Suzanne Grimaud Blog, CHOOSE TO......., Relate & Connect, REMAIN 2 0

We are in the last week of October and with apples on my mind, I choose to remain here with you today! Check out this verse that tells of the sweet taste of timely advice shared with a friend right when needed. “Like Apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances!” Prov 25:11 This picture was taken a few weeks ago as it caught my eye and though the tray is not silver, it certainly is beautiful. Among friends, we were sharing advice with one another as we were seeking the Lord together. We chose to come together, remain in worship and share wisdom with one another and it was truly sweet. It was a treasured time with dear ones and it will now be remembered as the time I received apples of gold. Sometimes we need to keep our mouths shut and sometimes we need to be bold and share insight received, advice needed or transparent stories from our experience and knowledge. One of my friends at this gathering shared a picture with me she had drawn awhile back that the Lord had inspired her to create. It was one of a bird that was flapping in the wind under a tree because it was trying hard to do on its own what it needed to do. It wanted to stay in the air and it was struggling. To the right of it was another bird, but this bird was caught up in the wind and its wings were spread open as it soared. It too wished to stay in the air but it had found the flow that would do the work as it would remain steady and enjoy the ride. The message April drew came through immediately as I often find myself trying to do many things of which I may or may not need to be doing. But here is the thing. When the focus is on doing all this activity, details, deadlines, goals, and priorities of mine, soon I’m overwhelmed and much does not get accomplished that had been hoped for. HOWEVER…. When I choose to REMAIN in the Word and in fellowship with the Father, these words of Jesus soon manifest truth in my life: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.” John 15:7 For several years, my heart has gravitated towards many things and as a result new skills have been learned. A bigger benefit has been personal growth and a developed love for sharing with others. One of the joys on this journey is seeing people develop into the leaders they are as they take on new challenges, overcome adversity, seek to grow and learn to love, laugh, live and forgive. It is clear now as I’ve remained on my life’s path for a number of years that everything experienced and learned has become part of what makes me who I am and joy is found when experience is shared with others. Sometimes it shows up in spiritual matters as much of the past 8 weeks has shown in my writings. Sometimes my passions pour out through teachings on leadership, business, organization and marketing experience with other entrepreneurs on my journey with me. My love to teach is also poured into our children and to the preschoolers in my Sunday School class on Sunday mornings. Do you have hobbies and gifts? One of mine is singing and serving on the worship team as well. There are other things we should journey together in so lets choose to remain in this thought as next week we will discuss why this blog site was created. It was the result of insight given, like apples of gold on a silver basket. It will be diverse yet grounded in the reality we have choices to make every day. There is purpose in it and I am finding a new passion to write. You know you have gotten into the flow when you wish to remain there and you lose track of time when you do. The crazy thing is as I focus on the one thing I need to remain in, as learned this summer by reading the One Thing (highly recommended reading), I am finding I am more productive and business is finding me. Growth happens in many ways but for me, it is currently through the help of a life coach, on-line educational development classes, personal development books, the Word of God, and by my choice to remain in the presence of God. Life gives us a variety of apples and we don’t have to bob for them until we get the one we want. We can truly choose our favorites and we can change our favorites as we take adventures. We can eat what we select and what is given to us, and we can make something new out of the beautiful fruit. It is our choice. My favorite apple variety is the Honey Crisp as each bite is a sweet, crisp, juicy burst of flavor all at once with a slight tang in taste. It is perfect by itself and it is great cooked. These apples are pretty in color and I always look for them at the store. I have even been known to bypass the varieties on sale ½ the price to choose Honey Crisp. What is your favorite? Perhaps I’ll find a new one when you give me some advice. Our family has an apple pie recipe that was handed down from my grandmother to my father and now to me. Our son usually requests it for his birthday dessert just weeks before the traditional Thanksgiving feast it is always served at. We remain true to this recipe and it has spoiled us as we cannot find another that stacks up to it. That’s how traditions are! They are the “apples of gold” in life we choose to remain connected to and the apples are to be shared. I will soon create a recipe tab and will share my pie recipe. If you would like to receive it, make sure you join the mailing list. Easiest way is to download the free 7 steps on the blog site. This download rotates but will ensure you receive the recipe. Meanwhile, you can see it in this picture and enjoy a recipe for a delicious homemade healthy protein bar. Any protein powder should work but my personal favorite is the It Works ProFit and there I will remain! Won’t you join the movement and choose to REMAIN? It’s your choice and no matter what you think or feel…. Your choices matter! And that brings up another thought….but I CHOOSE to save it for another post. If you enjoy reading this Tues/Friday blog, please choose to join the movement by requesting my free download: 7 Steps to Live out your Choice to Forgive! You will soon receive exclusive video content delivered directly to your email as a gift to my subscribers. I would also LOVE to have your feedback below and a share to your social friends. Thank you!

27 Oct

Choose to Remain

Suzanne Grimaud Blog, CHOOSE TO......., Random & Relevant, Relate & Connect, REMAIN 2 0

One of the hardest things for kids to do is to remain in one place as told, while you do your thing for “5 more minutes.” Knowing they should do “what you said” and knowing they should not do “what you said not to do” creates a sense of curiosity and adventure within to do the latter. There is a little kid in ALL of us and this part of us sometimes never grows up! I saw this last night at our Trunk or Treat Fall Festival we host at my church. Little kids and adults would come to our trunk where we had set up a giant sized “Candy Land” game complete with a path they had to walk to get to the candy. It was so much fun and brought out the kids in everyone! To get to the prize, they had to start on the giant bag of M&M’s, and draw from a bag a colored game piece that coordinated with the colored bags they could choose candy from. Of course, the RED colored bag contained all the chocolate! And there were 24 SURPRISE purple game pieces that would reward a colorful twisted long sucker on a stick. Everyone SOON figured out they wanted the purple game piece of which there was a limited supply, which made it even more enticing. We would tell the people to remain until the one ahead of them had reached the giant Hershey’s Kiss before taking their turn on the path. It was a struggle to wait for many. There were others who would try to sneak candy from any color bag than the one they were told they could have while some children jumped off the path and headed straight for the desired prize! Why is that? I believe it is this internal desire we have to want that which we cannot have and get it quickly. It all started in a beautiful garden a long time ago. The treat was sweet and there were choices, limitations and instructions to remain. There once was a lush and thriving garden and it housed two beautiful trees in the center of it complete with paths surrounded by beautiful and desirable surroundings. All paths would lead to the two trees and the people living in the garden were told something special about the fruit that hung on the trees. One tree was permissible and tasting the fruit from it would give eternal life. The name of this tree was the Tree of Life. The other tree was forbidden and by eating the fruit of it or even touching the tree, they would be in disobedience to the Master Gardener. This tree was named the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. All was well until it was pointed out that the benefits of eating the forbidden fruit would be beneficial (though that was a lie). The internal desire to want that which we cannot have and get it quickly was birthed. Because of that choice, the seed from that fruit was consumed and passed down to future generations and the choice of two individuals created the need for something new for all! The whole story of what took place in the garden can be found here. BUT… there is more to the story and it is GOOD!! It’s about a tree of life with a vine, branches and fruit and is permissible for us all. Last week, in my book, A Time to Prosper, by Chuck Pearce and Robert Heidler, I was reading of a tree that prospers. Pearce wrote, “The Word of God is the beginning seed. Jesus is the tree, the living Word.” It is a living tree with leaves and limbs (branches) and it has deep roots. The fruit of this tree also brings life and the seed within produces a multiplication of fruit. The tree must be pruned by the Master Gardener and vinedressers, which have been assigned by the Gardener to care for the tree. If there is no pruning and production of fruit on a branch, it will be cut off from the tree and will die. However, if it remains and receives proper care and nourishment, it will drink living water from the tree and will flourish. By remaining, it will live, produce, prosper and multiply. And the fruit of this tree will be sweet and desirable. What comes from the tree is good but not because of the ability of the fruit or the branch, but because of the tree itself. Remain connected to the source of life (the tree), and the fruit will be better than chocolate or long twisted suckers on a stick, and there will be plenty for everyone. Our life’s paths do not all look alike and they certainly don’t look like Candy Land. Perhaps it is the childhood game of choice because everything is colorful, bright, sweet and fun! That seems to be most children’s desires, as it was in my home growing up and with my own children. Again, we are all still children deep inside. After all, isn’t that what we all want? After focusing on candy last night, I’ve been thinking about apples today. Candy is good for a moment then sometimes brings a tummy ache (and bulge), and it’s often forbidden. Apples bring nourishment and are filling to the stomach and have said can keep a doctor away. I’m glad I can at least enjoy some candy and apples or better yet candy apples on this adventure I’m on. However, sometimes on my life’s journey, I cross the Candy Land Bridge where Lord Licorice tries to turn my life into the least desirable of all candies. It is then I can choose to give up and quit or remain on the path and keep moving forward. Sometimes I land in a place where I get to play with Princess Lolly or dance with Queen Frostine. In the game, the goal is to reach King Kandy! It may be a fantasy game but if you think about it, is it really? In the garden story, the desired goal was to be like the Master Gardener. Hope was deferred when what they thought all they needed was not what they needed at all. They had already reached and had access to the Master Gardener before they chose to partake. What if we choose to remain on a hope filled path that will ultimately give us access to all we desire and need ~ everlasting life? The scripture tells us in Proverbs 13:12, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” When you are continually connected to the source, by remaining in the Word, you will be placed on your life’s path where you are needed. God will place you where he can use you to be an example of his pruning work in your life. As you approach choices you need to make, you can apply this truth found in John 15:7 “But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” Looks like when your true desires are fulfilled by God, there is life. And a tree of life is everlasting, and it has always been the tree of choice. The garden is hidden but the tree of life is not. It is Jesus and he brings the new! The bad seed passed down is pruned away and the new seed of life in Jesus is forever and all we have to do is accept it, enjoy it, share it and remain connected to the tree. I know my Candy Land path has not been a complete lush garden experience. I’ve had times when I wanted to give up after encountering disappointments. Seriously, when I said for better or for worse, I only thought there would be “for better” and when “for worse” showed up, I had some choices to make. For quite awhile, I chose to play in the fantasy game of pretend and I kept going, hoping for purple or red game cards. But then there came a day when I had to choose to quit the game, get a different game piece or remain. I chose to quit playing the “game” and “remain in the garden” instead. I was done with ignoring the issues and was ready to receive some pruning. You see there were two in the garden who made choices and both had to receive some new seeds. When I took responsibility and allowed the Master Gardener to create something new in my life and trust him to do the same with my husband, who was also seeking pruning, something beautiful happened. The garden path became brighter, and our branches began to produce fruit again. Our marriage has flourished and the choice to remain has proven to be a game changer for everyone. New seeds of hope have been passed down and is multiplying into a harvest of sweet golden fruit. Our focus has now become to remain with the Master Gardener for he is our God and the tree of Jesus his son, gives life to our marriage and our home. It is fulfilling the desires of my heart and it is good. I think I’ll go eat an apple now. Speaking of apples, what is your favorite variety to snack on and bake with? I may have to do an Apple Fest in my home next month. After all, I’d like to remain here in the orchard for a while. Won’t you join the movement and choose to REMAIN? It’s your choice and no matter what you think or feel…. Your choices matter! And that brings up another thought….but I CHOOSE to save it for another post.